On 12 August FIA President Jean Todt, FIA Vicepresident for Sport José Abed and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Michelle Yeoh met with the Mayor of Guatemala City Álvaro Arzú in Guatemala City’s town hall.

During the meeting, Mr Todt, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, expressed his concern for the high number of traffic fatalities and injuries reported in the country each year. 

“The number of people who die or are injured on the roads is very scary. It has consequences for the entire family and an impact on the country’s economic growth. I hope our visit will make the government change that”, said Mr Todt. 

Guatemala has a population of  15.4 million inhabitants and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there are around 1,522 traffic fatalities every year. Most of those killed are pedestrians (51%) and motorcycle drivers (25%).

“There are five things that need to be applied and strongly enforced: the use of the safety belt in the front and back seats, the use of the helmet, abiding by the speed limits, not taking drugs and alcohol if you’re driving and not texting if you’re driving. If you follow those parameters, you will immediately halve the number of injuries and fatalities on the roads in Guatemala”, added Mr Todt.

During the meeting, which was jovial and light-hearted, Mr Arzú took Mr Todt and the rest of the delegation to the upper floor of the town hall, where they were able to enjoy a panoramic view of Guatemala City. Mr Arzú also gave Mr Todt a set of ties with the municipality’s logo, recognizing the importance of FIA’s work in terms of promoting road safety worldwide.

“Clearly, the situation in Guatemala in terms of road safety is very poor. When we met the mayor, we had the opportunity to raise this issue and I hope that our visit will act as a catalyst for change”, said Mr Todt after the meeting.

Mr Todt also attended a private meeting with the UN Population Fund’s representative in Guatemala, Verónica Simán, the Panamerican Health Organization’s representative in Guatemala, Óscar Barremeche, the World Food Program’s representative in Guatemala, Mario Doucette, the World Bank’s representative in Guatemala, Fernando Paredes, and the UN Program on HIV/AIDS representative in Guatemala, Ricardo García.

During the meeting, the various UN agencies working in Guatemala reiterated their commitment to support the government’s efforts to improve road safety.

Following the meeting, Mr Todt had lunch with Pedro Cofiño, president of the Guatemalan Automobile Club and Juan Carlos Botrán, the club’s director for road safety. A group of young go-kart racers from the club gave Mr Todt and Mr Abed certificates of appreciation, recognizing the FIA’s support for the club over the years.

Addressing the young drivers, Mr Todt said: “Children have the right to learn about road safety education at school. Parents can also learn from their children, from car dealers and from the media”.

“The answer to the problem is simple. It begins at home, with me, with you, with your spouse or partner, with every one of you when you cross the roads or when you attend a social event and decide not to drink”, added Mr Cofiño.

Mr Todt also gave Mr Cofiño and Mr Botrán a plaque of appreciation, recognizing the important role played by the Guatemalan Automobile Club in terms of promoting sporting events as well as road safety campaigns.